My Other Half
by SpazzyBabySister
Summary: Danielle and Christiana have been together pretty much since birth. What one lacks, the other possesses in excess. What will happen when they get tangled up with the murderers of Boston's finest criminals?
1. Let's Do It

The quiet clink of guns being cleaned filled the room as Connor and Murphy sat and thought. It was only a week ago that Smecker, Bloom, Duffy, and Dolly had succeeded in breaking them out of the Hoag. It wasn't simple and it certainly wasn't easy, but they managed to pull it off. Like aristocrats fleeing revolutionary France led by the Scarlet Pimpernel; Connor, Murphy, and Romeo were taken away to LA, CA. There they began living in a rundown apartment with its entrance in an alley. A place no one would ever think to find them. Meanwhile, the former agents and the detectives kept an eye on the investigation of the breakout, waiting for when the FBI would give up on the Saints and move on and the boys would be safe to return.

Connor paused in his cleaning and looked up at Murphy who continued his monotonous task for a while before asking, "What?" without ceasing his cleaning.

Connor looked around the room quickly before clicking his tongue in disgust. "This place is nothing like Boston."

Murphy stopped and shook the gun he was cleaning in Connor's direction. "Well what the fuck d'ya expect? We're on a whole 'nother coast for Christ sakes." He put the gun down and picked up another.

"I know that, but still." Connor leaned back on his bed. "Why couldn't we've just gone home to Ireland?"

Murphy stopped again. "Ya know why. The airport was down the night we broke out. It was impossible and we had to get out fast."

Connor sat up again quickly. "But why go this far?"

"I don't fucking know, ok?" Murphy threw the gun aside in frustration and stood to pace.

Connor watched his brother. He felt like he could see the gears turning in his brother's head as he thought. Finally, Murphy stopped and turned to Connor. "How long's Rome been gone? I'm getting fucking hungry."

Lungs burning, leg muscles throbbing, Danielle and Christiana rounded another corner. Christiana looked behind them to see how far ahead they were. In doing this she somehow managed to lose proper control of her legs and started to trip over her own foot. Luckily, Danielle saw this and grabbed her arm, swinging her back into a wall for them to prop themselves up against. "Fucking Chris!" Danielle said angrily as she struggled to catch her breath. Christiana began to laugh as hard as she could with her labored breathing.

"That was fun!"

Danielle looked at her incredulously. "No it fucking wasn't! Those guys had knives!"

With a wicked smile Christiana laughed. "At least they weren't guns, right?"

Danielle punched her arm. "That was the last time! I'm not doing that with you anymore. It's too dangerous."

Christiana's smile faded a little. "Fine. I'll do it on my own then."

Danielle wiped the sweat from her face with the bottom of her shirt. "No, Chris. You'd be in more danger by yourself."

Scowling now, Christiana stood up straight. "I don't _need_ you."

"Chris, don't start this," Danielle said with exasperation.

"I'm not starting anything! How else am I gonna make good money?"

Danielle pushed herself off of the wall. "Get a job!"

"Swindling -is- a job! And we're giving those pieces of shit a taste of their own medicine!"

"Chris!"

"Dani!"

"You can't just-" Danielle's statement was cut short by the sound of men shouting to each other. "Fuck!" Danielle and Chris had just started running again when the men turned the corner and saw them.

"They don't fucking give up, do they?" Christiana shouted, half laughing. Danielle just shook her head and kept on running.

For as long as they could remember they had been together. Danielle and Christiana grew up in an orphanage. Both girls' parents had been casualties in a gang fight that took nineteen innocent lives. Since the girls had arrived together, the employees naturally put them together. When there weren't enough cribs for all the infants, they shared a crib. When the kids outnumbered the beds, they shared a bed. When they were old enough to do chores, they were assigned together. Soon it became only natural for them to be together. One woman who worked in the orphanage joked that they would become like Rosencrantz and Guildenstern: unable to decipher who was who. Even when they started school they were inseparable. Subjects that Christiana struggled with, Danielle excelled at and vice versa. Christiana was particularly skillful in English. She could talk her way out of anything. And no one could beat Danielle in logic, which is why she was so good at math. No puzzle remained unsolved for long when in Danielle's hands. That was how it began.

Christiana and Danielle used to go to the park close by the orphanage when they were schoolgirls and play for hours. While they were there, they saw a couple of boys playing marbles. The first time, they thought nothing of it, but soon they saw what was happening. Four boys would challange another group of boys, rarely girls, to a game. They'd pretend to lose for a while, then propose a wager. After getting their opponents to agree, they'd really play. Christiana and Danielle hated seeing those poor kids get cheated so Christiana looked at Danielle, a devilish twinkle in her eyes. "What?" Danielle asked tentatively.

"You know how to beat them, don't you?" Afraid of what Christiana was planning, Danielle just shrugged. "You do. I know you do. I've seen that calculating look in your eye while we watch. Let's do it, Dani."

"Do what?"

"Get them back."

"I-I don't know if I-"

Christiana clapped a hand on her back reassuringly. "Don't worry about it. I'll be the mouth, you be the brain." Danielle thought it over and the next morning over breakfast she looked up at Christiana and nodded.

"Ok. Let's do it."

The girls practiced whenever they had free time. Christiana taught Danielle how to act so as to not give their plan away while Danielle taught Christiana how to figure out which way to shoot the marble in any given situation in order to achieve certain outcomes. When the day came for them to put their plan into action, Danielle nervously chewed on her nails. Christiana saw this on their way to the park and grabbed hold of Danielle's hand, pulling it away from her mouth. "I told you, you can't do stuff like that. Here," she reached into her pocket and pulled out a stick of gum. "Chew on that." Danielle nodded and took the gum. Although she was exceedingly nervous, she trusted Christiana.

Christiana was the one to approach the boys. She played the part of a girl with a crush, searching for a reason to spend time with the guy she liked. Like this, the boys quickly fell for the trap and agreed to a game. It was beautifully done. Christiana and Danielle played the first part of the match as the unlikely winners, while inwardly eagerly awaiting the moment when the boys would suggest they put some money on it. "Sure!" Christiana agreed cheerfully as she reached into her pocket and pulled out twenty dollars, her entire savings. Danielle had to use all her willpower to stifle her laughter at the way the boys' eyes seemed to leap out of their heads. "Daddy always said, 'Go big or go home!'" Christiana lied, giving reason to this large sum. Nodding, the boys pulled out twenty dollars. Just before Christiana moved to make the first shot, she glanced at Danielle. Although it wasn't possible because it would have given them away, Danielle could have sworn she saw Christiana wink at her. This one look was enough to give Danielle the strength to see their plan through to the end just when her resolution was starting to waver.

"Thanks for the game boys!" Christiana said with a smile spreading from one ear to the other as she pocketed the forty dollars. "Let's go," she said to Danielle. For a minute the boys just sat staring at the marbles, wondering how they could possibly have lost to two amateurs. And girls nonetheless! Then they realized it. They had been bested at their own game. Angry, they leapt to their feet and chased after the girls. Christiana and Danielle ran then with the same fear and excitement in their hearts that they now ran with.

"You bitches won't get away with this!" the man leading the others shouted.

"You just _had _to pick the shadiest fucking bar!" Danielle screamed, her lungs struggling for air as she ran.

"You don't find con artists like that in nice ones!" Christiana shouted back defensively. The girls made a sharp turn into an alley they thought would lead somewhere else. As luck would have it, it was a dead end. "Shit!" They turned around to see if they had time to run back out, but it was too late. They were cornered.

Breathing hard, the man sauntered over, his lackeys following close behind. "Well, well. Looks like luck's on _my _side tonight after all," he chuckled. As he drew closer, the girls began to back up toward the wall. They reached for each other's hands without looking and held on tightly, silently communicating. "Get 'em," the man said to his followers. Two men stepped forward and lunged toward the girls. Danielle and Christiana waited until the opportune moment to spin out of the way, raise their legs and bring them crashing down onto the back of the guys' heads as they fell forward.

"Told you dating those martial artists would come in handy down the road!" Christiana laughed.

"Not now!" Danielle said, unable to hide her smile.

Two more men came forward and tried to throw punches. The girls skillfully ducked and sent their fists into the guys' stomachs, causing them to hunch over, giving the girls the perfect chance to grab them by their hair and make their faces collide with the girls' knees. Blood splattered onto their jeans from the broken noses. While these men recoiled on the ground in pain, the last set of two charged. Christiana and Danielle nodded at each other, then used the guys' weight advantage against them by maneuvering so that they flipped over the girls' backs. On the ground, the men coughed, struggling for oxygen to fill their lungs after having the wind knocked out of them. Danielle smiled at Christiana and was about to say something when she felt the painful tug of someone's hand tangled in and gripping her hair. The man turned her around to face him. "You may have gotten my men, but I'm not so easy to take down!" he raised his fist high. Danielle shut her eyes as tightly as she possibly could, bracing herself for the blow. Suddenly, she heard the click of a gun cocking. When she opened her eyes, a flood of light made it hard for her to see the man standing behind the one gripping her by the hair. She could not see him, but she could hear his Irish accent perfectly.

"Try it. I dare ya." The man released Danielle with a trembling hand. "Now get the fuck out o' here." With no hint of hesitation, the man flew out of the alley, his buddies scrambling after him. As the Irishman came into focus, Danielle spotted the gun in his hand. The situation suddenly became too much for her and she fainted.

"Oh, you have _no idea_ how bad the shit here gets," Danielle heard Christiana say as her eyes fluttered open. She sat up slowly, allowing for her eyes to adjust to the lighting in the small apartment. "Ah! Sleeping Beauty has awoken."

"Oh shut up, Chris," Danielle said, finally looking up and seeing Christiana sitting at a small round table with two Irishmen and a Mexican man. Her heart began to pound with anxiety as she quickly pieced together what had happened in order to land them in this situation. When it finally all clicked, she touched the back of her head gingerly. The area still stung considerably, but there was no real pain.

"Here." Danielle looked up to take a look at the man who owned the voice she recognized as that of her rescuer. He held out a small ice pack to her. "It'll ease the sting."

"Thank you," Danielle blushed slightly as she took the ice pack. Although she wasn't as good at interacting with men as Christiana was and therefore did what she could to avoid them, she still could not deny a man's good looks. And this man was good looking. Not just in terms of features, but there was a feeling about him that would make a blind person say, "My, how handsome!" At least, that's how Danielle expressed it to Christiana later on.

"No problem, lass," the other Irishman said. "We've got some Tylenol if ya need it, too."

Danielle shook her head slowly, stealing glances at the first man as he went over to the table and picked up a plate. He brought it back to her. "I don't know yer gonna like it. It's covered in some green shit."

"They're jalapenos, you cabbage-loving freak," the Mexican grumbled.

Danielle laughed softly as she took the pizza from the handsome Irishman. She took a considerable bite, underestimating the freshness of the pepper and summarily began to choke. The Irishman quickly moved to pat her back while Christiana rushed over with a glass of water. "Hurry up an' drink," the Irishman said, passing the glass from Christiana to Danielle. The way she chugged the water made him chuckle. "Damn, lass! It's not like it was gonna disappear!"

"Dani's always been like that, Murphy. She gets scared easily," Christiana commented on her way back to the table.

"Murphy," Danielle said in a whisper, thinking to herself that it was a wonderful name.

"Hmm?" Murphy, who was still sitting behind her, leaned closer. "Ya say something?"

Nervous to have him so close, Danielle jumped and leaned away from him awkwardly. "Nothing!" she half squeaked.

"Come back over here an' leave the poor girl alone," the other Irishman said as he took a sip of his Guinness.

"I wasn' botherin' 'er, Connor," Murphy said as he got up and returned to the table beside Connor.

"Don' mind me brother, lass. His social skills are lacking," Connor teased.

"Fuck you!" Murphy said, looking a little embarrassed and shoving his brother.

Christiana looked up at the clock and stood. "It's about time Dani and got going. You good, Dani?"

Danielle glanced at Murphy before nodded. "Yeah. Let's go." On her way out the door after Christiana she looked back at Murphy who was waiting to close the door after them. "Thank you for saving me."

Murphy gave her a half smile, half smirk. "It's what I do."

The girls had walked a ways away before Christiana purposefully knocked into Danielle. "What?" Danielle asked, feeling a little irritated.

"You like him," Christiana said with a sly smile.

"I do not."

"You're a terrible liar."

Danielle frowned and searched for a change of topic. "Hey, Chris, I was serious. This time something bad almost happened. We can't be doing that anymore."

Christiana's brow furrowed, then she chose to ignore Danielle. "Let's find an excuse to come back soon."

"Chris!" Danielle called exasperatedly as Christiana skipped on ahead up the road.

"I think I've already thought of a plan to, anyway!" Christiana called over her shoulder.

Danielle paused, considering Christiana's proposal. She ran to catch up, then muttered shyly, "Fine. Let's do it."


	2. Worst Idea Yet

Danielle gazed out the dirty, finger-smudged window at the glittering stars of early night. "So what's this plan of yours?"

Shaking her hair dry with a towel, Christiana sat on the sagging couch beside Danielle. "We'll go after Riley Ortiz."

A small bell seemed to ring in Danielle's head, but not loud enough to chime the reason why she recognized the name. "And why? What's he done?"

"Cheated countless people out of their money during the low points in their lives."

"And you know this how?"

Christiana pursed her lips. "You can't walk ten feet around here anymore without seeing a sullen expression. If you ask what's wrong, they all say the same thing."

"Riley Ortiz."

She smiled. "Exactly."

Danielle turned to face her. "Ok. Sounds good. How we doing it?"

Motioning with her hands excitedly, Christiana explained. "Ortiz is frequently seen at a casino downtown. A real hoity-toity kinda place so needless to say we've got to work on the way we carry ourselves. It wouldn't do to look blatantly out of place." Danielle nodded. "And I'm going to have to get you better at cards just in case." Christiana then proceeded to count off the rest of the things they needed to get done before undergoing this next venture. When she was done she hugged Danielle tightly. "I'm excited! This is gonna be the most important one we've ever done!"

**Some time later**

Romeo slapped his hand down on the rickety little table. "I'm tired of sitting around here all day. Don't get me wrong, I respect you two, but you ain't much of a view."

"And what? Ya think we enjoy being stuck with your ugly mug all the time?" Connor asked while lying on his bed and flipping through the same magazine for the billionth time.

Clicking off the bathroom light, Murphy stepped back into the apartment. "So? What're ya gonna do about it? We ain't here to fuckin' entertain you."

"Tomorrow, I'm goin' lookin' for a job." He rose and plopped himself down on his cot.

Murphy sat on his bed and looked at Connor. "Not a bad idea. Maybe we should too."

Connor closed his magazine and tossed it aside as he turned to Murphy. "Might prove useful to earn some money."

Murphy nodded. "Alright," Romeo said with a sideways smile. "Tomorrow we go job huntin'."

**The next morning*

"So while I'm out, you go get us some appropriate attire. I'm thinking gorgeous evening gowns," Christiana said to Danielle as she pulled her jacket on.

"Got it," Danielle replied, her eyes focused on her hands as she fidgeted.

Christiana spotted her friend's agitation and clapped her on the back. "It'll be fine. We're more than prepared."

Danielle's weak smile grew into a genuine one. "I know. When you get back, we'll have the most amazing dresses ever made!" Christiana grinned and left. Soon after, Danielle gathered the amount of money she estimated would be enough to purchase the kind of gowns she had in mind and headed out into the city in search of the right shop.

Two hours later, Danielle's feet were beginning to feel sore, but she still hadn't found what she was looking for. "Why aren't there any elegant gowns around here? Everything I've seen so far would make us look like expensive skank hos!" she shouted in frustration. A low chuckle from behind her prompted her to spin around.

"Sorry," Murphy said as he stifled his laughter. "Just never heard the phrase 'expensive skank ho' before."

In a flash Danielle's face turned crimson and she stammered as she fought to find a coherent thought. Connor walked up beside Murphy. "Why ya gotta bother the lass right when ya see 'er?" he teased.

Murphy blushed a little as he shoved Connor. "I didn' do nothin'."

"I-It's true. I was making a fool of myself in the first place," Danielle said, quickly coming to Murphy's aid.

Connor looked at her and smirked. "So what brings ya out here?"

Wiping her face with her hand, Danielle sighed. "I've been trying to find evening gowns for me and Chris, but nothing is up to par."

"Ya know, there was a nice little shop we passed a while back." He turned to Murphy. "Ya remember it?"

"The one playing the mariachi shit?" Murphy asked with an expression that made it look like he'd smelled something bad.

Chuckling, Connor turned back to Danielle. "Murph'll take you there."

Murphy looked at him quickly. "What?"

Connor walked over to Danielle and pushed her lightly in Murphy's direction. "The lass's getting frustrated. The least ya could do is show her to a little shop. Meanwhile, I'll keep lookin' for place for us to work." He waved as he walked away.

Murphy rubbed the back of his neck nervously before clearing his throat. "Shall we?" Danielle nodded, staring down at the pavement. She was so focused on trying to act normal that she missed the entire trip. Reality came into view again when Murphy said, "This is it." Looking up, Danielle saw a small shop called "La Noche." She giggled when the bad mariachi music registered.

"What station is this?" she asked allowed as she stepped inside. Her jaw dropped at the sight of the selection. "Gorgeous!" She ran over to a rack and pushed aside dress after dress, loving each one. "Now they just gotta be in my price range or I'm fuckin' screwed!" With a discerning eye she inspected each dress for one that would suit Christiana. "With her skin tone a blue-green would probably look really nice." Quickly, she looked around the store for the color she had in mind and found a dress she thought was perfect. "And as for me, I might as well wear a burlap sack."

"This one." Danielle jumped a little and turned around to see Murphy holding up a red gown. "This one would suit ya. I know I'm no fashion show…whatever, but," he looked down at the dress, "I think you'd look good in this one." Her hand trembling with embarrassment, she took the dress and brought it and the other one over to the cashier. "Ya aren't gonna try it on?" Murphy asked as he stood behind her.

"I-I've gotta be heading back soon and the sizes are right so it should be fine." Murphy nodded.

When the dresses were purchased and they were back outside the store Danielle began to practically scurry away. "Thank you very much for your help! I hope you and your brother find good jobs soon! If you ever need help with anything, feel free to ask me or Chris! We know this city like the backs of our hands!"

Murphy chuckled and waved as she hurried. "Will do, lass!"

**Not Long After**

"Well that certainly took longer than I thought it would. You decide to be extra picky today or something?" Christiana asked while looking over the back of the couch.

"I had trouble finding appropriate styles." Danielle plopped down beside her. "Too many sluts in our city. Their style has infested our shops. Luckily that Mexican place has class." She giggled softly. "Despite their poor choice in music."

Christiana raised an eyebrow. "Mexican place? Since when do you go to Mexican places?"

A slight blush crept across Danielle's cheeks. "I bumped into Connor and Murphy and Connor told me about it."

"Oh~ now I see why you took your time," Christiana teased.

"What's that face for?" Danielle pushed Christiana away and blushed harder.

"Mhmm. Whatever. Just be sure you don't forget about me when I finally get you two together," Christiana said as she pushed Danielle right back.

"I doubt that'll ever happen," she sighed. "I'm such a nervous wreck around him." Suddenly, as she thought back, something occurred to her and she turned to better face her friend. "You know, I think Connor set me up like you do!"

Intrigued, Christiana turned just as Danielle had. "Oh? What makes you say that?"

"Well, after he mentioned the store, he practically shoved me at Murphy and made an excuse to not come along. Just your style!"

Christiana laughed. "I knew there was something I liked about that guy! Smart guy."

"Narcissist," Danielle joked.

**Days Later**

"Okay, tell me again," Danielle said as she hurried to keep up with Christiana's quick steps.

"Tell you what?"

"How exactly this is supposed to help me with Murphy," Danielle said, her nerves becoming more and more of a problem.

Christiana sighed. "How many times do I have to tell you? When this job is over, we'll need a place to lay low for a while. And that place will be their place. They'll agree to it, don't worry."

Danielle nodded. "Ok, but why do we need to lay low?"

"Oh look! We're here!" Christiana increased her pace as they neared the door. Danielle followed close behind her, feeling extremely frustrated. No matter how many times Danielle asked Christiana always found a way to avoid telling her why they'd need to hide out. It gave her a terrible feeling in the pit of her stomach. Were it anyone else, she would never have gone this far with such a feeling nagging at her, but it wasn't just anyone. It was Christiana and although she had always gotten them into dangerous situations, everything always turned out alright. Danielle had always followed Christiana and felt she probably would always follow her for the rest of her life. But that didn't bother her. Christiana was her best friend, her only friend. In fact, they were practically sisters. Inseparable.

They walked through the entrance and it felt like a gust of warm air in stark contrast with the chill of the evening air hit them. As they navigated themselves through the crowds, the feeling in the pit of Danielle's stomach agitated her more. At first, she thought it was the smell of smoke that permeated the air that was troubling her, but then she began to think about everything that had led up to that moment. Finally she found herself back at the name of the man they were there for. Over and over she said his name in her head until it finally hit her. A few feet away from the blackjack table she and Christiana were headed to, Danielle stepped aside and asked a random man if he knew the name of the owner of the casino. "Julio Ortiz," the man said before turning back to his game. Danielle froze. She could feel her body begin to tremble. Why hadn't she realized it sooner? No wonder the name sounded familiar. Riley Ortiz. Julio Ortiz's son. Danielle struggled to calm herself and rushed back to Christiana's side as she sat. "The House?" she hissed passed Christiana's ear with fury and fear. "We're going to cheat the fucking House? This is your worst idea yet!"

Christiana hushed her quickly. "Shut up! You'll ruin it!" With an aggravated sigh, Christiana watched as Danielle tugged her own hair in frustration. "Here," she said, holding out a stick of gum. "Chew this and calm the fuck down." Danielle snatched the gum and jammed it in her mouth, trying to steady her heart beat. She'd seen the movies, heard people's stories. If they got caught…It wasn't an option. Deep breath after deep breath Danielle fought herself. Her body wanted to collapse. It wanted to run. To scream. But that would be the same as asking for death. She had to be like Christiana. Mask her emotions and play the part. It wasn't only her life on the line, it was Christiana's too. How could she be so stupid? What made her think this was a good idea?

"Just one more time and we're out. You've done well," Christiana whispered. Just then, two large men in suits and sunglasses approached them. They each put a firm hand on the girls' shoulders and asked the girls to follow them. Danielle looked at Christiana, her heart racing wildly. Christiana nodded to her reassuringly and hopped off her seat to follow the men. The girls were led to a large room in the back of the casino where three chairs sat. In their stoic tone the men told the girls that their boss would be in shortly. When they were alone, Danielle turned to Christiana, tears dancing in her eyes. "Calm down, Dani," Christiana said as she stared straight at the wall.

"How am I supposed to fucking calm down?" Danielle jumped off to her feet. "Why did you do this? Explain it to me! I don't understand! Why would you put us in this kind of situation?"

She did not avert her gaze. The gears in her mind whirred as she ran through what to say when the boss came. "Ortiz is a bastard, Dani. He's more terrible than you realize."

Danielle fell back into her seat. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Christiana gave her a smile, but it was clear there was pain behind it. This shocked Danielle. It was the first time Christiana had failed to hide her true emotions. "You were never in any danger, Dani. I could never let that happen." Completely overcome with confusion, Danielle opened her mouth to ask another question when the door to the room squeaked open. In walked three men: the two from before and a young Latino man.

"Well, well, you two were certainly not what I was expecting when they told me someone was trying to steal from me."

In a second, Christiana's smile transformed into her usual faux genuine one, the one she used to mesmerize stupid men. "Oh, Honey. That couldn't be more of a false statement."

Smirking, Riley grabbed the third chair and turned its back to Christiana before sitting down. "Oh? You weren't trying to steal from me, Guapa?"

With a bat of her eyelashes Christiana said, "How could I possibly steal from you? This casino belongs to your father. I was stealing from _him_."

The twitch of Riley's eye showed how irritated he was by her correction. "_I_ am in charge of this casino."

Christiana giggled. "So _that's_ why it's filled with low-class scumbags!"

Riley leapt to his feet and lurched toward Christiana who didn't even flinch. "You've got guts, Chica."

Another giggle. "If I didn't, I'd be you!" Riley struck her. Danielle's chest felt painfully tight. She wanted to help, but she didn't know what to do. As the red mark on Christiana's face grew brighter, she faced Riley again. "Do you feel like more of a man now? You shouldn't. You are a coward." He raised his hand once more, but before he it got the chance to connect with her face again, Christiana shoved her heel into his stomach with a swift kick. He fell back into the wall with a heavy thud. On her feet now, Christiana wrenched Danielle's arm and shouted, "Go! Now!" The bodyguards rushed forward as Christiana spun around, slicing one's cheek open with her heel. "NOW, DANI!" Danielle watched Christiana take on the second man as she started to get the feeling back in her legs. Once Christiana's voice pierced her mind she was sprinting out of the room. It wasn't until she was half way there before she realized she was running to that alley. Her head felt like it was drowning. She couldn't feel anything real. She couldn't feel the burning of her lungs. She couldn't feel the throbbing of her heart. She couldn't feel the sting of the rain as it poured down. She couldn't feel the pain of her bleeding feet as the straps of her heels cut deeper and deeper into them. Finally, she reached the door and pounded on it with all her strength. Murphy opened it quickly. "What the fuck?"

"Chris!" She grabbed his shirt and screamed through her tears. "You have to save her! Please! Save Chris!" The stress on her body and mind was too much by this point; she collapsed.


	3. We're Back

A throbbing pain on the side of Danielle's head increased as her eyes adjusted to the light in the room. Sitting up, she became aware that she was waking up in Murphy's apartment again. It wasn't until after she asked herself why she was there that it all came flooding back to her. Her sense of urgency back, she scrambled to get off the bed and would have fallen on her face had Murphy not caught her. "Chris!" she shouted when she noticed he was there with her. "Murphy, we've got to go back for her!"

He sat her back onto the bed. "Where, lass?"

"The casino!" she answered, fighting to get up again.

"What casino? What happened?"

Her voice cracking, Danielle shouted, "The one Ortiz owns! We have to hurry! If we don't, Chris'll…she'll…" Numerous scenarios played out in her head as they always had, each one more disturbing than the last. Heart pounding she whispered, "How long have I been out for?"

Murphy could feel the pain in her voice. In a sad tone he said, "'Bout an hour."

Emotions surged through her with such intensity that she shoved Murphy aside and bolted out of the apartment. It didn't even occur to her that she wasn't wearing shoes. The soles of her feet were being brutalized, but nothing could distract her from her goal. It didn't matter that this effort might be for naught, she had to try. Chris needed her. Chris had saved her by sacrificing herself. Murphy struggled to keep up with Danielle. As soon as the casino came into view, Danielle's heart stopped and she halted for a moment before racing forward. The building looked dead. There were no lights on. No cars in the parking lot. Not a sign of life anywhere. With all her strength she shook the locked doors desperately. Calling out for Christiana, she sank to her knees and beat the door with her fist so hard it began to bruise. Catching his breath, Murphy stepped behind her, concern in his eyes. Tears streamed down Danielle's cheeks. "I don't understand! It was only an hour! Where could they have all gone? Where's Chris? Where is she?"

Murphy crouched to help Danielle stand up again. "C'mon. Let's go back. Connor'll be back with ice for you soon. We'll think about what to do when you've calmed down, a'right?"

Just then, Danielle heard the faint sound of a man speaking. She immediately stopped her crying and slowly approached the sound. The closer she got the more familiar the sound became. She peered around the corner and spotted the two bodyguards from earlier. They spoke to each other in low voices as they walked. When they rounded the next corner, Danielle moved to follow them, but was stopped when Murphy grabbed her arm. "What?" she hissed.

"Be careful. Let me go first." Danielle nodded and waited for Murphy to pass her. Together they stayed relatively low to the ground as they crept along, stopping at the next corner. They waited a moment before looking around. There was a large white van. The men were escorting a woman into the back. Squinting, Danielle tried to see if she could catch a glimpse of the woman's face even though her head was bowed. As she stepped into the van she lifted her head. Danielle gasped; Murphy clapped a hand over her mouth and moved so they were hidden behind the wall in case the men had heard her. Her eyes were frozen wide. For a while she just stared. She couldn't believe what she'd seen. When it finally registered, she broke free of Murphy's hold and rushed toward the van as it began to pull away. She managed to get close enough to see through the windows in the back and called out to Christiana. Christiana looked up and managed a small smile. Danielle read her lips. "I'm sorry. Stay safe. I love you." As the car sped away, Danielle fell to her knees and sobbed into her hands. Murphy looked at her for a moment before hugging her. "We'll save her, Dani. I swear. We'll save her." Gripping his shirt, she cried harder. She cried with everything she had until there was nothing left. She felt limp, numb. Murphy lifted her into his arms and carried her back to the apartment as she succumbed to the slumber that came with her exhaustion.

**The Next Morning**

"D'ya find anythin'?" Murphy asked, getting to his feet as Romeo entered the apartment.

Shrugging off his coat Romeo took a beer from the fridge. "Nothing good." Murphy joined him at the table, eager to hear what he had to say. "First of all, after making a few phone calls I can tell you that the plates on that van came from Boston. And second, I asked around at work and from what I here, Ortiz might be behind some real shady shit."

"Tell us somethin' we haven't already figured out ourselves," Connor said impatiently.

Romeo made a face at him before glancing around. "Where's Dani?"

"Taking a shower," Murphy said without taking his eyes off Romeo. "Now hurry the fuck up."

Romeo scowled. "It's just that this ain't gonna be something she should hear." After taking a deep breath, he said in a low voice, "There have been a couple disappearances lately. Women going missing without a trace."

A thunk from inside the bathroom alerted the men. They rushed to the door. "Dani? Dani?" Connor shouted. A quiet sob could be heard through the door.

Murphy pressed an ear to the door. "It'll be ok, Dani. It's gonna be ok. We're gonna save Chris."

"Murph's right, lass. Ya gotta have faith in us."

Romeo watched them for a moment before clearing his throat. "Should I call Eunice?" The boys looked at each other before turning around and nodding to him. Romeo nodded back and hurried to the phone.

While Romeo waited for the call to go through, the boys turned back to Danielle. "Dani, say something will ya?" Murphy asked softly, but there was no response.

"C'mon lass. Ya can't stay in there forever. Let us help ya," Connor appealed. Slowly, Danielle opened the door. Her wet hair had already begun to soak her pajama shirt so Connor quickly reached for a towel and wrapped it around her hair. Danielle stepped forward and began to cry on Connor's chest. "That's it, lass. Let it all out. Then when you're ready we'll take you back to pack your things."

Danielle pulled back and wiped her eyes. "Pack?"

Connor nodded. "We're goin' to Boston ta save Chris."

"B-Boston?"

Murphy nodded and stepped closer to them. "Don't worry. We know Boston better than we know each other."

Connor chuckled. "And that's saying somethin'." He rubbed Danielle's back gently. "Trust us, lass. We'll get Chris back."

"Ok. Yeah. Got it. Gracias," Romeo hung up and turned to the others. "They're gonna send us plane tickets tomorrow."

Connor nodded. "Murph, you take Dani back to her place and help 'er get 'er things. Rome, you and me'll go get our last pay checks."

**At Danielle's Apartment**

Danielle's hands shook slightly as she stuffed clothes into her suitcase. Over and over the image of Christiana getting shoved into the back of the van played in her mind. Why did she do it? Why did Christiana try to con Ortiz? She must have known what would happen. Why would she do it? There was too much at risk. Why? Why didn't she feel she could tell her either? Danielle closed her eyes as she fought back tears. She had always told Christiana everything. Why didn't Christiana feel she could do the same?

"Are ya about ready?" Murphy asked as he came to lean in the doorway.

With a somewhat shaky voice Danielle replied, "Yeah. Just about."

Murphy crossed the room and laid a hand on her shoulder. "Dani?"

She shrugged her shoulder to get his hand off. "I'm ok." She zipped up the suitcase quickly and stood. "Let's go."

Murphy eyed her for a minute before standing. "A'right. Let's go."

**Two Days Later**

Danielle rubbed her eyes as she stumbled down the steps of the plane. Connor caught her as she started to fall forward. He chuckled. "Flight too early for you?"

She smiled and nodded. "I'm not used to being up so early." Shaking his head, Connor put an arm around her shoulders to help steady her as they walked to get their luggage.

Murphy watched them with a frown on his face. Romeo clapped him on the back. "S'wrong with you?" They began to follow after Connor and Danielle.

"When I try ta talk ta her, I get treated like the plague, but she's all buddy-buddy with him."

Romeo chuckled. "What? Jealous?"

Murphy furrowed his brow. "What? No. Just bugs me is all." Romeo just shook his head and laughed. "The fuck are ya laughin' at?" Murphy smacked him on the back of the head. Just as they were about to start fighting, Connor called over his shoulder for them to hurry up or they'd miss the taxi waiting for them.

Danielle sat between Connor and Murphy in the back, leaning on Connor as she looked out the window at the various buildings they were passing. "How is it?" Connor asked with a proud smile.

"Awesome," she answered without looking away. "Reminds me of LA somehow."

"Once we get things…sorted out, we'll show ya guys around. Sound good?"

Danielle looked at him. His sure smile made her feel better so she smiled back. "Chris'll love it. She loves new things." As she smiled at him, she thought of all the times Christiana had insisted that Danielle try new things with her. New tricks to cheat, new foods to eat, new men to date. Connor really did have the same strong, optimistic personality Christiana did. Danielle was grateful to have him around. It was like having Christiana at her side.

"Ya hear that, Murph? Be sure ta keep yer schedule clear!" Connor teased.

"Yeah," Murphy muttered, staring out the window beside him.

Danielle looked at Connor, confused by Murphy's reaction. Connor and Romeo chuckled, glanced at each other, and then laughed outright. This irritated Murphy further and he scooted farther away from Danielle and Connor.

The taxi pulled up to a run-down looking restaurant. Romeo got out quickly and shouted, "Tio! Tio! Estamos aqui!" The boys got out and started to take some of the luggage out of the trunk along with the help of the driver while Romeo continued to shout.

Connor threw a small bag at his head. "He knows yer fuckin' here. Now grab a fuckin' bag!"

Rubbing the hurting spot, Romeo picked up the bag and went to get another as he mumbled, "Too much to come out and see your nephew after so many months."

"Quit bein' a woman," Murphy said as he went passed him into The Silver Peso.

"Go on inside, lass," Connor said as he followed after his brother. "We got this."

Danielle nodded and headed inside. The place had somewhat gaudy Mexican decorations. She giggled. "Reminds me of that place I got the dresses from."

The boys stood on either side of her and laughed. "'Cept without the bad music." After another laugh, they left to bring in the rest of the luggage.

Danielle took a seat at the bar and tapped the counter absentmindedly as she looked around. "¿Al igual que lo que ves?" an older gentleman asked with a low chuckle as he stepped out of the kitchen and behind the bar.

Jumping a little out of surprise, Danielle smiled. "Parece ... viva."

The man laughed. "That is a strange way to put it, but I know what you mean."

Danielle smiled sheepishly. "Sorry. The only Spanish I know, I learned from listening to neighborhood kids."

He grinned. "An ear for languages?"

She shook her head and smiled wistfully. "I'm terrible with languages. My friend told me when we were little not to think of it as words. She said translating from English to another language was like balancing a chemical equation. Thinking of it that way, I can do it."

"Your friend sounds very clever."

"She is." Danielle looked down at her hands and fidgetted anxiously as her mind began to wonder again. She shook her head to try to think of something else when she heard the clink of a glass beside her on the counter. There was a glass of water sitting by her hand when she looked up.

"If they are with you," the man said, nodding toward Connor and Murphy who were arguing with Romeo again, "then it will all be alright."

Danielle's eyes widened a little, "How did you-?"

With a knowing smile, he said, "Nowadays, the only way to know the boys is to be in an...'unusual' situation."

"Hey, Señor," she leaned forward to ask more quietly, "why is that? Who are they?"

He chuckled. "You can call me Cesar. And," he paused. "I think it would be better that you asked them. It is a long story and one only the men themselves can tell properly."

"...Alright." Danielle sat back, a little disappointed.

**That Evening**

Connor waited until Danielle, who had insisted on doing the dishes alone, had left the room to whisper, "So, Cesar, we were hoping ya could take 'er in while we looked fer a place fer us to stay."

"Of course. Whatever you boys need, I'll do what I can."

Murphy grinned. "Gracias." He glanced at the clock. "Well, now that that's settled, we'd better be headin' to Doc's."

"Right," Connor nodded. "Eunice and Smecker might be there already."

"We'll be borrowing your car then, Tio," Romeo said as he stood up from the table.

Cesar waved them off and they had almost slipped out of the room when Danielle walked back in. "Where are you going?"

"Just...out," Connor said.

"Such a quick thinker," Murphy said under his breath, which earned him an elbow in the side.

"Out where?" Danielle took a step closer.

"To have a drink," Romeo offered.

"But there's drinks here." Danielle folded her arms over her chest. "I may not be good with people, but I'm not stupid. If this is about Chris, I'm going with you."

"Lass," Connor sighed as he rubbed the back of his neck, "we know how ya feel, but if ya got involved anymore than ye already are, it'd only be trouble so just stay with Cesar."

Hurt and offended, Danielle put her arms to her sides and clenched her fists. "There is no 'getting more invovled' for me." She looked right at Connor, her eyes burning. "Chris is all I have."

"Dani," Murphy stepped in, "we're not sayin' that isn' true. It's just...what we do isn' like the games ya an' Chris played in LA."

Danielle could feel her face get hot as she grew angrier. "Games? Sure, it started that way, but that's how we _survived_!" Frustrated, Danielle rushed forward and pushed passed them.

"Where're ya goin'?" Connor called as they started to follow her.

"The fuck does it matter to you? I'd only get in the way if I went with you right? So leave me the fuck alone. I'll do it on my own."

Connor grabbed her wrist to stop her. "Ya don't understand!"

"No, _you_ don't understand!" Hot tears started to spill as she shook, her voice cracking and quiet so that only Connor could hear. "I'd rather be dead than sit back and do nothing. If it was you...If Murphy was in danger, could you do it?" She searched his eyes with her tear-filled ones. "Could you just sit and do _nothing_?"

Connor didn't break eye contact for a while. Suddenly, he could feel the pain in his wrists again. He could feel the way the cuffs dug into them as he struggled to wrench the toilet from the ground and chase after the Russians who had taken Murphy away. He could feel the fury he had felt at himself then for being the reason his brother was in danger. Finally, he started walking toward Cesar's car, still holding Danielle's wrist but holding it more gently now. "Hurry up," he said in a low tone to Murphy and Romeo.

On the way to Doc's Murphy leaned over to Connor and whispered angrily, "What're ya doin'? Why'd ya bring 'er?"

Connor looked over at his brother and smiled sadly. "Because I know."

Confused, Murphy raised an eyebrow. "Know what?"

Turning his attention back to the road he said, "What it's like."

Murphy could tell he wasn't going to get a better answer than that out of him so he sat back and stared out at the road as they drew closer to the bar. When they arrived, Connor and Murphy passed through the doors first. Upon spotting Eunice and Smecker sitting on a couple of stools and chatting with Doc, the boys grinned. Connor cleared his throat to get their attention. When they turned, Murphy stepped forward, opened his arms wide and said triumphantly, "We're back."


End file.
